Ondertrouw van Lodewijk XV en Maria Lesczinska 1727

Editor: This engraving by Leonard Schenk from 1727, titled "Ondertrouw van Lodewijk XV en Maria Lesczinska", depicts a formal betrothal scene. It's incredibly detailed, but feels very staged, almost theatrical. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's fascinating how these Baroque images stage authority. Notice the canopy hovering over the couple, and the architecture - almost a proscenium! These visual symbols denote legitimacy. Editor: So it’s not just documenting, it’s performing power? Curator: Precisely. Marriage was a powerful political act, especially for royalty. Consider what an arranged marriage *means* - an alliance. Do you see any other clues regarding status? Editor: Definitely. The priest is elevated on a dais, separating him, and by extension the church, from the general populous, or court. And the bride is surrounded by attendants - perhaps a symbol of her purity and innocence. Curator: Yes! It's worth considering what isn't shown: the actual emotions of the individuals involved, of either party to this prearranged deal. The power of the crown and the church is centered, visually overwriting individual identity or intent. Editor: I never considered the *absence* of emotion as being a kind of symbol. That's powerful. Thanks for making me think about visual language in this totally different way! Curator: My pleasure. Reflecting on what we don’t see can be just as insightful as what we do, providing deeper understanding to how such images once functioned.